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Fox-Pitt was born in Hampstead, the eldest son of William Oliver Lane Fox-Pitt (1932-2012, known as Oliver) and Marietta Speed.[2] Educated at Eton and the University of London, Fox-Pitt began riding at age four, and started eventing at age 15. He was born into an equestrian family, with both parents having ridden around Badminton and Burghley and his siblings having been very successful as well.[3] He holds the record for the most wins (six) at the Burghley Horse Trials;[4] William's victories coming in 1994, 2002, 2005, 2007, 2008 and 2011. Additional major wins have been at the Badminton Horse Trials in 2004 and again in 2015, at Gatcombe Park in 1995, 2000, 2003 and 2005, and team golds in European Championships in 1995, 1997, 2001, 2003, 2005, 2009. He took team bronze at the 2011 Europeans, individual bronze at the 2013 Europeans, and team silver and individual bronze at the 2014 World Equestrian Games. He also represented Great Britain at the (1996 Summer Olympics/Atlanta), (2004 Summer Olympics/Athens), (2008 Summer Olympics/Beijing), (2012 Summer Olympics/London), winning team silver in Athens, team bronze in Beijing and team silver in London. In 2006 he was ranked the leading rider in Britain for the sixth year running and 2nd in the world, and as of 2014 he was ranked 1st in the world. William is married to Channel 4 Racing presenter Alice Plunkett. They have two sons; Oliver (born in August 2005) and Thomas (born 15 November 2006), and two daughters; Chloe (born October 2012) and Emily (born September 2014). William is a regular columnist in the weekly equestrian magazine, Horse & Hound.

In the eventing world, one of his best known partnerships is with the horse Tamarillo.